Saturday, September 18, 2010

Fool your kids brownies - the brownies that are really veggies


2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and grounded up real small
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup applesauce or a mixture of other mashed fruits (peach, pear, apple)
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs or egg replacer + water to equal 6 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup sugar or sweeter of choice (optional)
4 c. chopped nuts (optional)



Mix well. Spread in large greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Whole wheat crackers

3 cups whole wheat flour 
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil


Mix all ingredients in a mixer for 5 - 7 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Form dough into a ball and then cut in half. Put one half to the side.


Flour a baking sheet, put half the dough on the baking sheet and roll the dough out onto the cookie sheet until it is very thin. Flip dough and roll some more. After it is thin use a pizza cutter or knive and cut cracker size pieces and then take a fork and prick holes through out. Sprinkle salt if desired over crackers and then bake for 15 min. Let cool.


Repeat for 2nd batch of dough, cooking only one batch at a time.








Wednesday, September 8, 2010

"Ice Cream"

Freeze 4 banana for at least 12 hours.


In a blender combine frozen bananas
1/2 cup of 100% juice, milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.
1/4 cup of cocoa or carob powder
sweeter for your tastes.


Mix on high until it has reach a creamy consistency. Enjoy right away, does not freeze well. Tastes very similar to ice cream, but healthy.


We have omitted the cocoa powder and added plums - amazing taste!
We have also used fresh strawberries with and without the cocoa.
Must always use the frozen bananas, they are what makes the texture.
When we use other fruit in addition to the bananas we do not add sweetener.


You could add a little spinach in it and your kids would never know :-)

Healthy Chocolate Graham Crackers

2  cups whole wheat flour
1/4  cup honey
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. water
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 cup cocoa or carob powder (not sweetened, if u do use sweetened reduce honey that u use)


Mix all ingredients until well blended.


Preheat over to 350 degrees.


Shape dough into ball and place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.


Use rolling pin to roll dough into a flat thin sheet on cookie pan.


Cut shape of crackers with pizza cutter and poke little holes with fork (this keeps the dough from rising).


Place cookie sheet in oven for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit in oven for another 30 min.


Enjoy.

















Sunday, September 5, 2010

Healthy Whole Wheat Pretzels, with or without okara


Makes 16 pretzels

FOR PRETZELS
1 and 1/8 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon honey, agave nectar, or other sweetener
3 cups whole wheat flour (or 4 cups if you do not use okara)
1 cup okara
2 1/4 teaspoons Yeast, active dry

FOR WATER BATH
2 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Bread machine directions - hand mixer directions below
Place all ingredients for the pretzels in bread machine on the dough cycle.

When cycle is done move to floured surface and shape into 16 balls. Roll each ball into a thin rope and then shape into a pretzel shape. place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cover with a dish towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Place 2 inches of water in large pan and boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the 2 cups of water in a bowl with the baking soda and stir, place to the side.

Once pretzels have rested and water is boiling place pretzels one at a time in the boiling water. Do not stack them on top of each other, you will need to do several batches. Boil each side of the pretzel for 1.5 minutes then flip and boil other side. Take pretzel out and let dry for 5 minutes on a dish towel. Dip each pretzel into the water/baking soda mixture then put on a cookie sheet sprayed with baking spray. Put salt as desired. Bake approximately 15 minutes until golden brown.


Hand mixer directions
Place all ingredients for the pretzels in a large bowl. Process for six minutes in a mixer on medium speed. Grease a bowl and roll the dough into a large ball and place into the bowl. Cover bowl and let sit for one hour or until mixture has doubled.

Then move to floured surface and shape into 16 balls. Roll each ball into a thin rope and then shape into a pretzel shape. place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cover with a dish towel and let rest for 20 minutes. 

Place 2 inches of water in large pan and boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the 2 cups of water in a bowl with the baking soda and stir, place to the side.

Once pretzels have rested and water is boiling place pretzels one at a time in the boiling water. Do not stack them on top of each other, you will need to do several batches. Boil each side of the pretzel for 1.5 minutes then flip and boil other side. Take pretzel out and let dry for 5 minutes on a dish towel. Dip each pretzel into the water/baking soda mixture then put on a cookie sheet sprayed with baking spray. Put salt as desired. Bake approximately 15 minutes until golden brown.

After shaping them

Boiling them

Letting them dry after boiling

After drying and dipping them in the water bath
put them back on greased pan

After baking

Yummy!


Friday, August 27, 2010

My soy/almond milk machine

After a lot of research and soul searching I ended up purchasing the SOYAPOWER
It is made in China, and as most of my dear friends and family know my husband and I boycotted China three years ago. I am very proud of that decision, and overall it has been an easy one. But, there have been occasional times where we have had to bend. This was one of them. After contacting every, yes every company that makes soy milk machines I found out that they are all made in China. Yes, I could have decided to make soy milk by hand, but I do not have an extra 5 hours in my day :-) I am horrified knowing what Silk and other so-called "healthy" companies are doing to our food supply. Who in their right mind would cut the DNA of a soybean in half and put weedkiller in the middle of it?!? Or who would spray carcinogens all over healthy almonds?!? This machine has a 90 day unconditional return policy. Shipping was free to me. If I return it I would have to pay shipping back to TN. Overall I adore it. I have made soy milk, oat milk, garbanzo bean milk, almond milk, soy yogurt and tofu. Tomorrow I am making hazelnut milk. I think that I will put some chocolate in it - yum.


Wheat and okara bread

3 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon calcium carbonate (optional)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon egg replacer  like Ener-G or one egg, beaten
4 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup of Okara, (must have been cooked/steamed, if it is from your soymilk maker then it is perfect)

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bread maker or with a mixer for about 8 minutes. Add more water a half of teaspoon at a time until you reach a desired thickness.
  2. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place  until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
  3. Grease a loaf pan. Punch a hole in the middle of  the dough. Form the dough into la loaf and place into the prepared pan. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
  4. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped,  30 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Trains made in the USA

My 2 year old son has decided that he loves Thomas the Train. When we go to gymnastics each week there is a little boy who has a Thomas. My son screams the entire time that he wants this train. In the  daycare at my gym there is also a Thomas. Everyday after my workout I have to pry this little train out of my sons hands as he yells. He continues to scream about this train all the way home. After 2 weeks of dealing with this hollering I decided that we had both had enough. I set out to find a train that was child appropriate and made in the United States of America. I soon realized that all Thomas the Trains were made in China. Since we are a No China household this would not do. After a while of searching I was sure that I would end up trying to make a wood train, or buy one from a WAHM and paint it blue. I was ecstatic when I came across Whittle Shortline RR. They are a family owned company that makes trains and trucks here in the USA! They make a Little Engine that Could Train. He is blue! The shipping was very fast. My son is a very happy boy with his blue train. His mommy is very happy that it was made in the USA and that it nontoxic. Most of their trains are for 3+, so use your best judgment if it is appropriate for your child.
http://www.woodentrain.com/